[Python-Dev] Relative Package Imports

[Gordon McMillan]

[Jim Fulton]
> Here's an example that I hope will be motivating:
> 
> Suppose Marc-Andre has a package mx with subpackages DateTime
> and stringtools.  
...
> Zope has a notion of products which are *self contained* packages that
> are sub-packages of the Products package.  So, suppose someone wants
> to write a NiftyDB product, which is a Zope product that provides
> access to an external database.  Now the author of the NiftyDB product
> wants to use the mx package.  The mx package is not a standard part of
> Zope, or of Python, so they simpley include it in the NiftyDB product
> directory.  

This would motivate me to strangle the author of NiftyDB. He 
should say "This requires Marc-Andre's mx package", and put error 
handling on the import. Otherwise I might end up with a gazillion 
separate copies of the mx package installed on my system and no 
way to clean it up.

Your notion of "self contained packages" is flawed. Reducto ad 
adsurdum, it leads to downloading the OS with every app you 
install. (Crap, I hope I haven't given Sun any new ideas...).

- Gordon